HMS Mermaid (1651)

HMS Mermaid was a 28-gun fifth rate built under the 1651 programme. She was built under contract at Limehouse. After commissioning she spent her early career with Robert Blake's Fleet in action off Dover, the Gabbard and in the Mediterranean. After the restoration she served mainly in Home Waters. After her first rebuild she served in Home Waters, North America, Mediterranean and the West Indies. After her second rebuild she served in Home Waters and the West Indies. Her breaking was completed at Deptford on 26 June 1734[1][2]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Mermaid.

Class overview
NameMermaid (1651)
Builders
  • six by Dockyard
  • thirteen by contract
Operators Royal Navy
Preceded byPearl (1651)
Succeeded by1689 Programme Group
History
England
NameHMS Mermaid
BuilderMathew Graves, Limehouse
Launched1651
Commissioned1652
Honours and
awards
  • Dover 1652
  • Gabbard 1653
  • Porto Farino 1655
  • Texel 1672
General characteristics
Type32-gun fifth rate
Tons burthen285+85⁄94 bm
Length
  • 105 ft 0 in (32.0 m) gundeck
  • 86 ft 0 in (26.2 m) keel for tonnage
Beam25 ft 0 in (7.6 m) for tonnage
Draught12 ft 0 in (3.7 m)
Depth of hold10 ft 0 in (3.0 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Complement110 in 1666
Armament
  • 1666 Establishment
  • 20 x 4 demi-culverins on wooden trucks (LD)
  • 8 x sakers on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 1677 Establishment
  • 18 x demi-culverins on wooden trucks (LD)
  • 8 x sakers on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 4 x minions on wooden trucks (QD)
  • 1685 Establishment
  • 12 x demi-culverins on wooden trucks (LD)
  • 10 x sakers on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 4 x minions on wooden trucks (QD)
General characteristics as rebuilt 1689
Type32-gun Fifth Rate
Tons burthen343+30⁄94 bm
Length
  • 106 ft 0 in (32.3 m) gundeck
  • 86 ft 0 in (26.2 m) keel for tonnage
Beam27 ft 4.75 in (8.4 m)
Depth of hold9 ft 6 in (2.9 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Armament
  • 2 x demi-culverins on wooden trucks (LD)
  • 20 x sakers on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 10 x Falcons on wooden trucks (QD)
General characteristics as rebuilt 1707
Type36-gun Fifth Rate
Tons burthen421+31⁄94 bm
Length
  • 108 ft 0 in (32.9 m) gundeck
  • 90 ft 0 in (27.4 m) keel for tonnage
Beam29 ft 8 in (9.0 m)
Depth of hold12 ft 0 in (3.7 m)
Sail planship-rigged
Armament
  • 8/6 x 12-pdrs on wooden trucks (LD)
  • 22/20 x 6-pdrs on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 6/4 x 4-pdrs on wooden trucks (QD)

Mermaid was the second named vessel since it was used for a galley captured in 1545 and listed until 1563.[3]

Construction

She was launched in 1651 at Mathew Graves' shipyard at Limehouse. Her dimensions were gundeck 105 feet 0 inches (32.0 metres) with a keel length of 86 feet 0 inches (26.2 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 25 feet 0 inches (7.6 metres) with a depth of hold of 10 ft 0 in (3.0 m). The tonnage calculation would be 285+85⁄94 tons.[4]

Her armament changed over time. Under the 1666 Establishment she carried twenty demi-culverins and eight sakers for 28 guns, she actually carried twenty-two demi-culverins, nine sakers and 2 3-pounders. Under the 1677 Establishment as a 32-gun vessel she carried eighteen demi-culverins,[Note 1] ten sakers[Note 2] and four minions.[Note 3] She was a 30-gun vessel 8nder the 1685 Establishment with twelve demi-culverins, ten sakers, four saker cutts and four minions.[5] She was completed at an initial cost of £1,852.10.0d[Note 4] to build or for 280 tons @ £6.10.0d[Note 5] per ton.[6]

Commissioned service

Service in Commonwealth Navy

Mermaid was commissioned in 1652 under the command of Captain Richard Stayner. She was at the Battle off Dover on 15 May 1652. In 1653 under Captain John King she was at the Battle of Gabbard on 2/3 June 1653. She was off the Dutch coast under Captain James Ableson in the winter of 1653/54.Then she sail to the Mediterranean with Robert Blake's Fleet in 1654 and was off Tunis on 4 April 1655. In 1656 under Captain Peter Foote she remained with Blake's Fleet until July when she went to the English Channel.[7]

Service after the restoration May 1660

On 24 October 1661 she was under Captain Edward Nixon, RN. She was at Tangier in 1662. Captain King took command gain on 24 October 1664. She took the Dutch privateer Jonge Leewe in the North Sea in April 1665. On 17 April 1665 she was under command of Captain Jasper Grant, RN at the Battle of Lowestoffe as a member of Red Squadron (Center Squadron) on 3 June 1665. Captain George Watson, RN was in command from 8 December 1665 until 11 December 1668. On 10 January 1672 Captain Thomas Hamilton, RN was in command, then Captain Errick Sieubladh, RN on 17 April 1672, followed by Captain John Temple, RN on 22 June 1672 all served in the English Channel.[8] On 10 December 1673 Captain Richard Tapson, RN took command until 8 August 1673. On 3 April 1677 she was under Captain William Flawes then Captain Captain David Lloyd, RN on 20 September 1677 both for service off Ireland. Captain Daniel Jones, RN took command on1 June 1678 for service in the English Channel.On 15 March 1680 she was under Captain David Trtter, RN followed by Captain John Tyrrell, RN for service at Barbados. In 1684 She was under command of Captain William Clifford back in Home Waters then went with the squadron to Sale, Morocco. She was reclassified as a fireship in October 1688. Captain Thomas Ley took command on 24 October 1688. In 1689 she went to Woolwich to be rebuilt as a fifth rate.[9]

Rebuild as 32-gun Fifth Rate 1689

On 24 June 1689 she was ordered to be repaired at Woolwich under the guidance of Master Shipwright Joseph Lawrence. She was docked then upon completion of the rebuild she was launched in December 1689. Her dimensions were gundeck 106 feet 0 inches (32.3 metres) with a keel length of 86 feet 0 inches (26.2 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 27 feet 4.75 inches (8.4 metres) with a depth of hold of 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m). The tonnage calculation would be 343+30⁄94 tons.[10] Her armament was changed to two demi-culverins on the lower deck (LD), twenty 6-pounder sakers on the upper deck (UD) and ten falcons[Note 6] on the quarterdeck (QD).[11]

Service after 1689 rebuild

She was commissioned on 18 June 1690 under the command of Captain Arthur Ashby, RN for service at Sheerness. Captain Ashby died on 30 November 1691. Her next commander, Captain Thomas Sherman, RN, took over in 1692 for patrolling the Yarmouth fishery. On 13 January 1693 Captain Edward Rigby, RN took command and later under Captain William Harman, RN in the West Indies with Wheeler's squadron. In 1694 Captain Richard Athy, RN took command for service in the Mediterranean. Captain Thomas Pinder (11 April 1696) and Captain Robert Arris (28 April 1696) held command in the North Sea and the English Channel.[12] During 1699 thru 1700 she was guardship at Plymouth. In 1701 she was under command of Captain Leonard Crow, RN. On 21 January 1703 Captain Henry (or Humphrey) Lawrence, RN was in command with Duke's squadron. Captain Walter Riddle took command on 21 December 1703 for service at Jamaica. Upon her return she was to be rebuilt as a 32-gun Fifth Rate during 1706/07.[13]

Rebuild at Chatham 1706 - 1707

On 20 June 1706 she was ordered to be rebuilt at Chatham under the guidance of Master Shipwright Benjamine Rosewell. She was docked then upon completion of the rebuild launched in August 1707. Her dimensions were gundeck 108 feet 0 inches (32.9 metres) with a keel length of 90 feet 0 inches (27.4 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 29 feet 8 inches (9.0 metres) with a depth of hold of 12 ft 0 in (3.7 m). The tonnage calculation would be 421+31⁄94 tons.[14] Her armament was changed to eight to six 12-pounders on the lower deck (LD), twenty-two to twenty 6-pounder on the upper deck (UD) and six to four 4-pounders on the quarterdeck (QD).[15]

Service after 1707 rebuild

She was commissioned in July 1707 under the command of Captain John Chilley, RN for service with Admiral Byng's Fleet at the Downs plus she patrolled the North Sea in 1708. In 1709 she was patrolling off the coast of Scotland. May 1710 brought a change in command when Captain William Collier, RN took over still on the Scottish coast but moved to the English Channel in 1712 then on to the Mediterranean in 1714/15. On her return she sail with Norris's fleet to the Baltic in 1716. She was repaired at Portsmouth from July to October 1716 for a cost of £4,658.6.9d.[Note 7] She was recommissioned in June 1718 under the command of Captain John Yeo, RN, She was sheathed in June 1720 for her voyage to the West Indies and service at Jamaica. In October 1722 Captain Joseph Laws, RN took command at Jamaica. She returned to Home Waters in 1724. She underwent a survey on 10 November 1724 with no repair reported.[16]

Disposition

Her breaking was completed on 26 June 1734 at Deptford.[17]

Notes
  1. A demi-culverin was a gun of 3,400 pounds with a four inch bore firing a 9.5 pound shot with an eight pound powder charge.
  2. A sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 5.5 pound shot with an 5,5 pound powder charge.
  3. A minion was a gun of 1,000 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 4 pound shot with an 4 pound powder charge.
  4. The cost accounting for inflation of approximately £278,500 in reference to today.
  5. The cost accounting for inflation of approximately £900 in reference to today.
  6. A falcon was a gun of 660 pounds with a 2.5 inch bore firing a 2 pound shot with an 3,5 pound powder charge.
  7. The cost accounting for inflation of approximately £740,600 in reference to today.

Citations
  1. Winfield 2009.1
  2. Winfield 2009.3
  3. Colledge
  4. Winfield 2009.1
  5. Winfield 2009.1
  6. Winfield 2009.1
  7. Winfield 2009.1
  8. Winfield 2009.1
  9. Winfield 2009.1
  10. Winfield 2009,2
  11. Winfield 2009,2
  12. Winfield 2009.2
  13. Winfield 2009.2
  14. Winfield 2009,3
  15. Winfield 2009,3
  16. Winfield 2009.3
  17. Winfield 2009.3

References
  • Winfield 2009, British Warships in the Age of Sail (1603 – 1714), by Rif Winfield, published by Seaforth Publishing, England © 2009, EPUB ISBN 978-1-78346-924-6, Chapter 5, The Fifth Rates
  1. Vessels acquired from 24 March 1603, 1651 Programme, Mermaid
  2. Fifth Rates of 32 and 36 guns, Mermaid
  3. Milford Group, Mermaid
  • Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy, by J.J. Colledge, revised and updated by Lt Cdr Ben Warlow and Steve Bush, published by Seaforth Publishing, Barnsley, Great Britain, © 2020, EPUB ISBN 978-1-5267-9328-7, Section M (Mermaid)
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